Anuradhapura
Although people may have lived in this area since as early as the 10th century BC, Anuradhapura became a great city after the arrival of a cutting from the Bodhi Tree (‘tree of enlightenment’), the Buddha’s fig tree, in the 3rd century BC. The sacred branch was brought to Sri Lanka by Sanghamitta, the founder of an order of Buddhist nuns.
Anuradhapura went on to become a Ceylonese political and religious capital (4th century BC) that flourished for 1,300 years. In its prime, Anuradhapura ranked alongside Nineveh and Babylon in its colossal proportions—its four walls, each 16 miles (26 km) long, enclosing an area of 256 square miles (663 km²)—in the number of its inhabitants, and the splendour of its shrines and public buildings.
The Abhayagiri Giant Pond
The Abhayagiri Giant Pond is the largest man-made pond in Anuradhapura. Its walls show a feature common in the design of ancient Lankan tanks. The stones are dressed in columns and laid in a honeycomb design. This funtions to absorb the pressure from the waves hitting the bunds which would otherwise cause erosion. Most of the tanks in Anuradhapura have bunds built in this way, which is known as “wave-comb”.
Thuparama Dagoba
The Thuparama Dagoba is the first Buddhist building in Anuradhapura. It is located a short distance from the Lankarama Stupa. Compared with the other dagobas in Anuradhapura, it is considered small. Nevertheless it is very sacred to Buddhists, as they believe it enshrines the collarbone of the Buddha.
I explored the Thuparama Dagoba with a few members of AsiaExplorers. What we see of the dagoba today is a reconstruction. Moreover, we learn that it is different in shape from the original dagoba, which resembled a heap of rice whereas the present one is more a bell-shape stupa. The grove of stone pillars that surround the dagoba are the remains of an old vatadage that used to shelter the original stupa with a conical roof.
Jetavana Dagoba
Jetavana Dagoba in Anuradhapura is the tallest stupa in Sri Lanka. It stands majestically at 400ft (122m) tall. And, it is also the tallest brick structure in the world. (Compare it with other brick monuments in Asia, namely the Qtub Minar in Delhi, India, and the unfinished Mingun Pagoda in Myanmar). Among the world’s ancient structures, only two of the pyramids in Giza surpass it in height.
The Meghagiri Vihara
The Meghagiri Vihara is now commonly known as Isurumuniya Vihara or Isurumuniya. But the real Isurumuni Vihara is located few hundred metres away is now called Vessagiri Vihara.
Isurumuniya is most famous for the stone carving of a couple located there. This carved stone was found in the royal pleasure garden and brought here. There are many interpretations for this carving.
The most popular is that this carving shows the prince Saliya (the son of the great king Dutugamunu) and his mistress Asokamala. Asokamala was of a lover cast called “Chandala” and the prince Saliya gave up the right to be the king by marrying this girl of a lower cast.
